Hymn for the Missing
by Kanna37
Summary: Canon Divergence Serial.  Naraku's schemes take a slightly darker turn, and Kagome becomes trapped within the jewel, her physical body disappearing as she dissolves into it.  Inuyasha is haunted by guilt and memories, desperately searching for her.
1. Hymn 1

Disclaimer: Take this as a blanket disclaimer for this whole fic – I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.

~oOo~

Hymn 1

~oOo~

Naraku held up the almost completed jewel he had cradled in his hand, admiring the black brilliance of its tainted darkness.

"It's so beautiful like this," he said to himself, taking no note of Byakuya as he did so. "But I still need the last two pieces."

His thoughts went to the ones that held them. Kohaku, who had taken refuge with the daiyoukai Sesshoumaru... and the miko who'd been a thorn in his side for too long, Kagome. "So little like Kikyou," he murmured. "Her heart is too light, too open. Kikyou's was guarded and untrusting of those around her. It made it easier to corrupt the jewel."

But even though Kagome only held one shard, that one shard was enough to confound all his plans – because it was surrounded by her purity, and that echoed in the chunk he held, leaving it with a light that did not allow it to be fully tainted.

Glancing around the cave he had taken refuge in, he sighed, irritated a bit with his lack of progress in gaining the last two pieces needed. Perhaps he needed a new plan...

Kohaku would be extremely difficult to take. Sesshoumaru was a strong guardian – he rarely left the boy to himself, and battling the Western Lord would lead nowhere for him – he was an opponent second to none.

Kagome would only be a slight bit easier of a target... and only because of Inuyasha's preoccupation with Kikyou. The boy held such guilt for her death, and now half-life, that he was putty in the undead miko's hands, and any time she called for him, he went.

_Yes... I will have to use one of his Kikyou interludes to strike – and if I take Kagome, I can kill two birds with one stone... gaining the shard, and taking the little priestess for myself. If anything will blow out that light of hers, it would be being utterly submerged in darkness._

His eyes went once more to the blackly glowing jewel... and the tiny pinpoint of light at its center that was marring the dark.

_What a perfect prison this jewel would make for another priestess..._

~oOo~

A/N: Welcome to my new Inu/Kags tale. This is a canon divergence serial. However, unlike most serials, it will not be that long-drawn out. It will most likely have around thirty parts, with one part released a day. Right now, I'm halfway done with it, and will probably finish it today or tomorrow.

At any rate, hope you all enjoy it!

Amber


	2. Hymn 2

Hymn 2

~oOo~

Kagome shivered in atavistic fear; something was wrong – or would be soon. She could feel darkness crawling up her spine as though something evil and black was watching her. Looking around at her companions around the fire, however, she could see that none of them felt the same.

Turning her eyes back to the flames dancing at the center of the camp, she inched closer to the fire – she felt the strong need to be as close to the light and heat as she could, but didn't understand why. Still, the compulsion was strong, and she followed it without even thinking about it.

Her attention was drawn by someone shifting; Inuyasha was restless, and with an inwardly pained sigh, Kagome was certain she knew exactly why.

Kikyou was near, and she knew it was only a matter of time before the hanyou disappeared into the darkness under the trees. For some reason, though, even though every time he'd done the same thing before had hurt, this time, she had the feeling that she would never see him again once he was gone.

Lowering her face into her hands for a moment, she rubbed wearily at her eyes, knowing that no one was really paying attention, as they all had their own deep thoughts keeping them only marginally aware of those around them. The only one immune to this atmosphere was Shippo – who was already asleep.

_Thank god for small miracles, _she thought, looking at the little kitsune rolled up in a ball atop her sleeping bag. _At least he's not upset and distracted – he's just a child, and shouldn't even be exposed to all of this._

She sighed, then. _But he's as much a part of this as we are, _she allowed, knowing she was right. Shippo had been with them from almost the beginning, and deserved to see it through. It wouldn't be fair to leave him behind, much as she wanted to.

Wriggling a bit closer to him, she reached up and unzipped her bag, scooping him up and slipping him under the covers. Unnoticed by anyone else, her hand reached into her pocket, and taking a tiny bottle out, she quickly placed it in the little boy's obi.

After watching him for a moment, she scooted back towards the fire, and with no one the wiser to her actions, continued to wait for Inuyasha to disappear.

It was only a matter of time.

~oOo~

A/N: Due to this story being posted on every day, and the fact that I am STILL not able to access my reviews through the normal route, I won't be responding to reviews unless someone has a question. I do read and appreciate them all, though!

Amber


	3. Hymn 3

Hymn 3

~oOo~

Gripping Tessaiga tighter as he shifted yet again, Inuyasha stared at the canopy of leaves just above his head and let his mind wander.

Kikyou was nearby, and he wondered if she had any news of Naraku. She usually did, so he could hope. But he knew, in the end, that's not why he would go once she called for him.

No, even if Naraku was already dead, he would go when she called – it was a compulsion.

He grimaced; glancing down at the raven head sitting opposite him on the ground, his heart thumped painfully, full of guilt.

She wasn't looking at him, instead, she was sitting very near the fire, as though she were cold. He frowned at that – it wasn't a particularly cold night – what was she doing? About to say something, he caught the glint of her eyes as she looked up and turned to glance at Shippo. His frown deepened; she seemed afraid.

He didn't like that – she shouldn't ever be afraid of anything with him around – he would never let anything hurt her again. He'd vowed that after that incident with Akago – and then his head fell and his guilt swelled... he'd _also_ vowed not to leave her side again, and he had, repeatedly. Just like he was going to do within a very short time. It seemed he couldn't keep his promise to her very well...

His conscience piped up then. _But you manage to keep those promises to Kikyou just fine. _

He snarled at himself, knowing those words were true. _Keh... I'm doing my best!_

_Your best for Kikyou. It's very telling, that – Kikyou's the one you've deemed important. Kagome only gets what's left after Kikyou's gotten what she wants. One of these days... you're gonna lose her because of it – you won't be in time to save her._

_Then what?_

The poking from his conscience was opening up still bleeding wounds inside him, and he forcibly throttled that voice. _I've always managed to protect Kagome anyway, despite Kikyou – and I'll keep doing it!_

Refusing to look in Kagome's direction again, he looked up and caught sight of the glowing forms of Kikyou's shinidamachu, and with a resolute expression on his face, he dropped out of the tree, and without so much as a by-your-leave, disappeared into the forest.

He had no idea that the last glimpse he would have of Kagome was the one of her shiny, sad, scared eyes as she turned to look at Shippo.

He would find that memories were not enough...

Not by far.


	4. Hymn 4

Hymn 4

~oOo~

Kagome watched Inuyasha's red-clad form fade into the night until he was gone with a heavy heart, and then without a word, crawled into her sleeping bag to try to sleep.

_This feeling is so strong... I'm not going to see you again, Inuyasha, I know it._

_So... I'll say goodbye, and close my eyes to await whatever's coming._

_Just... please don't forget me once I'm gone._

_That's all I ask._

~oOo~

A/N: Due to the brevity of this chapter, I will be posting two chapters today.

Enjoy...

Also, someone left an anon review asking if the rating will go to M for lemon because they enjoy the way I write them. The answer is no, not this one. This one will maintain it's T rating, because the focus is more on the emotional than the physical. Besides – I hate writing lemons, actually. I much prefer writing battle scenes... they are easier. I just find writing lemon scenes difficult, and they usually take me the longest. However, in some stories they are needed, and some not; this one does not need one.

Amber


	5. Hymn 5

Hymn 5

~oOo~

Several hours later, Inuyasha walked slowly back to camp, his feet dragging. His visit with Kikyou had not been as productive as he'd hoped, but it had managed to stir up his emotions and tug at his guilt. Just like it always did...

Her visits always left him unsettled, his emotions wild and out of control as he felt tugged and torn between Kikyou and Kagome. He hated feeling that way...

But it was always worse once he returned to camp and had to feel Kagome's hurt. To see the avoidance in her eyes and the way she kept to herself. How she would refuse to ride with him, trying to keep her distance as a way to work herself through her hurt feelings.

He _hated_ it.

Stopping just out of sight of the campfire, he leaned against a tree and lowered his head, frustrated and feeling trapped. _Keh! What do I do? There's just no way out of this trap, is there? Caught between them, and unable to move. I hate this..._

Punching a fist back into the tree, he tried to let out some of his tumultuous emotions, but it did nothing to help, and after a moment, he straightened, ignoring his now bleeding hand, and let his thoughts freeze.

Getting himself under at least a semblance of control, he resolutely started forward, heading for his previous perch over the camp. But the moment he actually stepped back into camp, his brows furrowed suspiciously – something was wrong.

His gaze swept over the bundles on the ground... Sango, Kirara, Miroku, all seemed just fine. But when his eyes landed on Kagome's bag, he realized what was wrong.

No Kagome.

Shippo was still curled up asleep, but the dark-haired girl he cared so much for was gone.

Grumbling, he began to search out her scent, thinking she'd gone off to look for him, or to take care of personal business or something.

But within moments, he was scowling, suddenly uncertain – her scent never left the clearing. He searched the entire perimeter, and it was clear; Kagome had not left the camp under her own power, because if she had, he'd have been able to track her.

Within seconds he had everyone under the trees awake as he started cursing and leaping into the trees looking for her scent, or any scent that shouldn't be there...

Yet he could find nothing.

_But..._ he growled deeply as he dropped back out of the trees right over her sleeping bag. "The shard... it's still here, I can sense it!" Grabbing a wailing Shippo, he shook the boy until the small glass vial containing the shard fell at his feet, and the entire camp, which had just been noisy as everyone demanded to know what was going on, stared at the vial, and then Shippo.

"Shippo, how did you get that?" Sango gasped, eyes wide.

"I don't know!" the boy cried, tears pouring down his cheeks. "When I fell asleep before, in Kagome's lap, it was still in her pocket!"

Miroku walked over and bent down to pick up the bottle that lay at the hanyou's feet – the hanyou who was frozen, staring at it as though it were going to bite him.

"The only explanation is that Kagome-sama hid the shard on Shippo when whatever was happening took place. She obviously did not want whatever creature that took her to gain the shard," he said, tucking it into his robes after a moment, his eyes solemn as he stared at Inuyasha.

The hanyou broke out of his frozen shock and spoke, then. "And you guys didn't notice anything? You didn't hear anything _at all_?" He seemed unable to believe it.

"As incredible as it seems," he glanced at Sango, who was shaking a teary head, "no. It took someone with great power to do what was done..." he trailed off.

All of their thoughts turned to Naraku.

"Byakuya," Inuyasha spat, his fists clenching in rage, blood dripping to the ground from his perforated palms. "Master of illusions... he could have slipped in here and taken her and no one would have been the wiser."

Eyes empty, he turned and walked out of the camp as the others watched on with worried expressions.

Shivers ran up the spines of everyone present when a feral scream shattered the night a few moments later.

"_Kagomeeee!"_


	6. Hymn 6

Hymn 6

~oOo~

Lashes fluttering weakly, Kagome groaned softly as she regained consciousness. It took a few moments, but she managed to pry her oddly reluctant eyes open...

And blinked, wondering if she'd been blinded, as the darkness that lay behind her lids was echoed when they were opened.

Frightened, heart speeding up as she gasped, she blinked again, turning her head as she took in the fact that she wasn't laying on anything – or at least, nothing she could feel. It almost felt like she was... floating.

Closing her eyes again, she ground them shut tightly, then opened them again, trying to maneuver herself around to see if she could see anything at all. After a moment, she realized that she wasn't blind after all – she was just in the dark, because there was a very faint glow coming from what seemed to be a long way away.

_Where the heck am I? s_he wondered as she stared at the distant glow. _I was... I was sleeping. With Shippo and the others. Inuyasha..._

_Oh. That's right. Inuyasha left... and then Byakuya came. But where did he put me? _

"What kind of illusion is this?" she wondered aloud.

"This is no illusion, fallen priestess," came a great voice echoing in the darkness, and Kagome twisted around in a panic trying to see who was speaking in such a malice-laden voice.

"Who are you?" she cried out desperately when she couldn't find anyone. "Where am I?"

"Welcome to the dark world inside the Shikon no Tama, Kagome," that insidious voice chimed in once more. "Just like Midoriko is trapped within, so you are also. And I," a sickening chuckle came, and then a swirl of light formed right before her, becoming a male youkai with more hatred in his eyes than even Naraku had, "am Magatsuhi."

Eyes widening, Kagome remembered something Kaede had said once about Naohi, the spirit of good in the jewel... and Magatsuhi, the spirit of evil. "Why am I here?" she asked, voice almost a whisper in her choked throat. "What good is my being brought to this place going to do you?"

"Haven't you figured it out? You fear the darkness. Naraku wants to taint the jewel fully. And while you foiled his plan to take your shard by hiding it from him, still, with your soul darkening within the mostly blackened Shikon no Tama-" he grinned evilly, "-the tiny pinpoint of light still within it will finally be wiped away like it never existed."

"I'll fight you," she warned, finding courage for a moment from somewhere deep inside.

"So you shall," he said, an odd relishing sound in his wicked tones that made her shiver. "But how long do you think you, a mere child, can fight me? Midoriko has fought for five hundred years. But she is an adult, and a fully trained warrior miko. What are you? A frightened child with power that you use in an almost accidental fashion. What do you think _you_ can do?" he asked spitefully.

Every word he spoke hit her like poisoned arrows, reaching deep and wounding her in places that were already damaged at best. He was right – she was a child, playing at being a miko. Who did she think she was getting involved in fights between the very tenets of good and evil?

Hadn't Inuyasha asked practically the same things back in the beginning?

With an insane sounding laugh, the youkai before her faded away, and she stiffened in shock as it seemed she was also fading... dissipating into the darkness around her – becoming one with it.

She could still feel herself – her sense of who she was was intact, but she didn't seem to be corporeal any longer, and despairingly, she let her mind reach out into the ether she seemed to be a part of now.

_Inuyasha, _her mind cried, and the void echoed his name emptily around her.


	7. Hymn 7

Hymn 7

~oOo~

_Inuyasha..._

Silver hair whipped around as golden eyes widened in shock... _I heard her... _"Kagome?" he whispered, looking around at the forest they were still racing through trying desperately to find any trace of Byakuya or Naraku.

Skidding to a halt, his heart lurched at the despair that had been in the faint sound. _"Kagome!" _he yelled, "where are you?"

He completely ignored the shocked and confused expressions of the others as Kirara landed just behind him as he called out to the missing miko. He _knew_ he'd heard her – it hadn't been his imagination.

Listening with every bit of his ability, he slumped to his knees when he didn't hear anything else. Bitterly, he slammed a fist into the ground. _"Damn it! _I heard her... I _know_ I did," he said weakly, his voice barely above a whisper as grief throttled it in his throat. "She's calling for me..."

Miroku and Sango exchanged concerned glances, while Shippo just looked on with misery on his face.

Dismounting from Kirara, Miroku approached his friend with understanding in his eyes. "What did you hear, Inuyasha?" he asked as he crouched next to the hanyou, placing a comforting hand against his shoulder.

Clenched tightly with pain, teeth gritted, Inuyasha said, "She called for me – I heard her call my name!" His shoulders dropped under Miroku's hand. "She sounded so forlorn, so frightened," he finished.

His fist clenched against Inuyasha's shoulder in understanding. "We must find Naraku, then. There is no telling what he is doing to Kagome-sama. After all, look what he did with Akago," he said grimly.

Inuyasha was silent for a moment, then he flowed upright, startling Miroku. Tilting his head to look into the sky through the leaves of the trees, he nodded, one hand gripping fiercely onto Tessaiga for support. "Let's go," he said shortly, waiting for Miroku to remount Kirara before leaping into the trees again and disappearing in the direction they were tracking faint scents of miasma.

Once they were back in the air, Sango asked softly, "Do you really think he heard her voice?"

Miroku was silent for a few minutes as he considered everything, then finally said, "It is possible. We all are aware that there is a very strong bond between them. She may be trapped somewhere and calling out to him."

"It's his fault she's gone," came a stilted, angry voice, and Miroku looked at the small kitsune on his shoulder. "If he hadn't been out chasing Kikyou..."

"That is not certain, Shippo. Remember – none of us even woke when she was taken, and you were right there in the same bedding with her. If even you noticed nothing, it is very possible that Inuyasha would not have, either," the monk returned.

Shippo turned his face away. "But he might have," he said. "How many times has he put her in danger by running off?"

Sighing, Miroku gave him that, but said, "And how many times has he saved her from that same danger, Shippo?"

"True, monk, but... there's always a first time for everything – even failure," Sango said, and with that, silence fell – because she was right. There was always a first time for everything...

Would this finally be the time that Inuyasha failed Kagome – permanently and irreversibly?


	8. Hymn 8

Hymn 8

~oOo~

Naraku once more gazed upon the tainted Shikon no Tama, a sick smirk on his face as the light inside wavered...

~oOo~

Still floating in pieces in the void, Kagome felt the darkness in the jewel like a taint in her soul. It was making her sick – she felt like her own soul was being violated. The feeling was a million times worse than when Akago had his fingers in her personal darkness.

She thought of her mother, waiting in vain for her daughter to return. Her brother, who wouldn't understand, and grandpa... he wouldn't care that it was one of his legends that had swallowed his granddaughter. He'd still miss her. He'd be angry.

_My world... where I grew up. _She could feel the tears she was shedding, but there was nothing to wipe away. _Will I ever see it again? Will Inuyasha even come for me?_

Practicality told her he couldn't save her this time. After all, she didn't seem to have a body anymore. She may as well be dead, because she was little more than a ghost like this. How could he save someone who didn't even have a solid form anymore?

Even Tenseiga couldn't restore a person's entire body from nothing.

_Inuyasha... _grief settled inside her chest, a weight she couldn't remove, and suddenly, a storm broke out inside her soul at the pain that burst from her in that moment. A storm that was, shockingly, echoed inside the jewel. She could feel it all around her, and she began to realize that she was becoming part of the jewel – it was integrating her into itself, and everything that happened inside her would be played out inside her prison.

Drenched in sorrow, she looked around at the flashes and the pouring rain, and couldn't help but think it suited her feelings as she floated in the nothingness. The rain was so heavy it was almost coming down in sheets... it was like her soul was bleeding out, and she welcomed the torrent with open arms, letting her tears blend with the rain until she couldn't tell the difference anymore.

She reached out with every part of her mind and heart...

_Inuyasha... I'm so lost – more lost than I've ever been. It's so dark. Are you searching for me? I don't think you can help me this time..._

She closed her eyes under the onslaught as the rain increased in intensity.

_Will I ever see the sun again?_


	9. Hymn 9

Hymn 9

~oOo~

_Inuyasha... I'm so lost – more lost than I've ever been. It's so dark. Are you searching for me? I don't think you can help me this time..._

A pause...

_Will I ever see the sun again?_

Sundown had come and gone, and the now shortened group finally convinced Inuyasha to stop. They pointed out that searching in the dark could lead to them missing something important...

More reluctantly than ever before, Inuyasha gave in, and they stopped to sleep – though he _couldn't._

Everywhere he looked, he saw her; how she had looked facing down Menomaru, with fear for him in her heart but determination on her face, the fierce expression on her face when she'd flung Tsubaki's curse back at her. The look in her eyes when she'd been pierced saving him from her own arrow, thanks to Kaguya...

How she'd looked while dying at the hand of the poison-master, Mukotsu.

And then he heard her voice again, a faint echo, but more than clear enough for him to understand the words he was hearing...

_She's lost... in the dark? What the hell has Naraku done to her? _

_She doesn't think I can save her this time?_

That one hurt – and frightened him, because that was the first time she'd ever doubted that he could save her. She'd always before believed in him...

_What's so different this time? _he thought, impatient and anguished and wanting to do nothing more than destroy Naraku and everything around him until Kagome was returned to his side.

"Kagome," he whispered. "I can hear you... can you hear me? I'm looking for you – just hang on until I find you. I'm coming for you... just like I always have."

There was no response, and he lifted his head to the night sky and watched as another memory of her played out in front of his eyes, the stars shining brilliantly through the vision.

She was haunting him.

He deserved it.


	10. Hymn 10

Hymn 10

~oOo~

"Inuyasha's group approaches, Naraku. What do you want me to do?" asked Byakuya, his eyes opaque as he watched his master playing idly with the jewel he held.

The spider was silent for some time, simply staring into the jewel to the exclusion of all else. He didn't even register when his incarnation shifted with a bit of impatience.

Finally, after ten minutes of silence, Naraku spoke. "I think it is time for a new illusion – one just for Inuyasha. We will send him into an illusion of the jewel, making him think he has a chance of saving Kagome. Come, Byakuya," he said, standing up and preparing to leave the cave he'd been in for days for the first time. "My piece of the jewel is needed for this illusion, but I'm not about to give it to you. We will go together."

Byakuya of the dreams shrugged. What Naraku wants, Naraku gets, after all. He wasn't stupid enough to fight it.

Following his master from the cave, he floated behind him on his crane while Naraku simply flew. He wondered if they would be confronting the hanyou, or doing what needed done from a distance, instead.

With Naraku, it could go either way, but for some reason, he thought they would be confronting the hanyou in person this time.

The spider would not miss a chance to gloat and cause Inuyasha as much pain as possible.

This situation had a great deal of potential in pain for the inuhanyou.


	11. Hymn 11

Hymn 11

~oOo~

_Hold on, Kagome, hold on, _Inuyasha's mind kept chanting over and over as he ran. _I'm coming. Don't give up on me!_

Catching a stronger hint of miasma, he skidded to a halt, Kirara coming in to land near again as soon as he stopped.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" Sango asked.

"Naraku," he growled. "He's close." Looking at his friend with an evaluating expression in his eyes, he said, "Miroku, give me the shard. I don't want him going after you for it. It's safer with me."

Miroku looked back at him, just as weighingly. "What about it corrupting you?" he asked.

"The only time its done that was when I tried to use it. I don't need it – I just don't want Naraku chasing you guys down for it," he replied steadily.

After a moment, the monk nodded, and taking the bottle from his robes, he handed it to the hanyou, who promptly tucked it away in his fire rat. Drawing Tessaiga, he motioned for them to get back, just as Naraku floated into view, followed by Byakuya – but no Kagome.

"Naraku, you bastard!" he snarled, transforming his sword in an incandescent blast of light that was brighter than it had ever been before. He pointed it at the two that were now hovering just out of direct reach in an openly threatening manner. "Where's Kagome?"

Naraku, a bit wary at the suddenly much stronger youki coming from the hanyou, nonetheless smirked. "I am sorry, Inuyasha. I needed to destroy her light, and her. Are you missing her?" he asked unctuously.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he ground out, so enraged his voice was barely understandable around the deadly growl rumbling from his chest.

The spider hanyou held up the blackened jewel. "Do you see the tiny pinpoint of light inside it? That's Kagome's light. I need that light to disappear. So I have sent her into the one place she can never escape from – the one place that can destroy her light. The Shikon no Tama. Like Midoriko before her, Kagome is now trapped within it, and once her fear of being left there in the dark takes her over, that light will die, and the jewel will be tainted beyond redemption," he gloated.

Stricken, shocked and unable to figure out what to do, Inuyasha stared at his nemesis in anguish. Even the horrified exclamations from behind him couldn't break him from his horror.

"_What have you done?" _


	12. Hymn 12

Hymn 12

~oOo~

Within the jewel, darkness swirled, and the endless night deepened, though Kagome didn't know how that was even possible. But for some reason, she could feel Inuyasha, and knew he was close.

All that realization engendered within her, however, was pain – she was no longer living, no longer corporeal.

There was nothing he could do to save her now – she would become one with the Shikon no Tama, and disappear into it just as Midoriko had done five hundred years previously.

It was inevitable.

She closed her eyes and waited for her fate to complete itself.

~oOo~

A/N: Part one of two for the day!

Amber


	13. Hymn 13

Hymn 13

~oOo~

All Inuyasha could see were Kagome's accusing eyes before him, and despite the fact that she'd never really looked at him that way but once before, after he'd sworn not to leave her again, and she'd called him a liar, he could see her clearly – more clearly than anything in the clearing with him.

_Traitor, _she whispered. _You lied to me, you left me, and now it's too late to save me._

He knew it wasn't really her saying those things, but his conscience sure sounded like her in that moment, and a growl starting low in his chest, he looked up at the spider above him with such rage that the growl grew into a roar.

"Give her back, you bastard, or I'll make sure you never see the light of day again, Naraku!" he promised, his tone dark and vicious. _"Give her back!"_

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Inuyasha," he said, a false sense of sympathy in his oily voice. "She's even now integrating with the jewel. Before long, she will be a part of the Shikon no Tama, and have no existence outside of it – much like the cursed priestess Midoriko."

Mind blank, Inuyasha brought Tessaiga's hilt up and laid his forehead against it, trying desperately to calm his youkai blood. "_Please, _Tessaiga... take me to Kagome," he whispered against it's battered hilt. "Please."

There was silence for a moment as Naraku prepared to unleash Byakuya's illusion, but he was caught off-guard as the Tessaiga, that infernal fang, pulsed, before going black. It pulsed again, and Inuyasha pulled it away from himself and looked at it, surprised.

"Meidou?" he asked softly, eyes pinned to the fang. It didn't take long for him to figure it out...

Leaping high into the air, he brought the great sword down in a brilliant arc as black light erupted from the blade in a perfect crescent – and everyone there, including Naraku, was shocked when he leapt into the starry void with no hesitation.

Just as he disappeared, Naraku ordered Byakuya to cast his illusion, and the incarnation did so, not realizing that Inuyasha had actually created his own door into the Shikon no Tama with the Tessaiga – and that his illusion was wasted.

The four companions left behind simply stared at the spot the meidou had closed in shock, not even noticing when Naraku and his slave left.

He was inside the jewel, yes... but he hadn't yet understood that the inner universe of the jewel was infinite – he could search for eternity, and still never find her.

The only hope he had to find her was his father's fang...

And that it would help him correct a most deadly mistake in leaving her unprotected – Kikyou notwithstanding.


	14. Hymn 14

Hymn 14

~oOo~

Inuyasha stepped into a world of storm-lashed night; he could literally feel Kagome everywhere around him.

Flashes of lightening, and he'd see her eyes, a terrible look in them that cut him like a knife. Then darkness, then he'd hear her telling him to run away and leave her because she didn't have control of her body, and didn't want to hurt him.

Another flash of lightening – a conglomeration of all the times she'd watch his back as he walked away to go to Kikyou passed in front of his eyes.

He suddenly realized he was seeing her memories, and his heart sank; was she already fully integrated into the jewel? Was there truly no more Kagome to save, to rescue and bring home?

"No!" he screamed into the darkness. "No! I won't accept that! I'll _never_ accept that!"

With that, he began to search, frantically moving through endless space that all looked the same. He quickly became drenched by the downpour...

One that, funnily enough, was salty, rather than fresh.

What kind of rain was salty?


	15. Hymn 15

Hymn 15

~oOo~

Naraku stared into the sky for some time, considering his next move. It was time to gather Kohaku's shard.

Kagome's light was steadily weakening, and because of that, he was now able to once more take control of the shard in the boy's neck... all he needed to do was create a diversion for the inu Lord, and then order Kohaku to return to his side.

Once the shard was in his hands, the young slayer would no longer be of any concern to him.

Offering his own flesh to the evil will of the jewel, he watched as Magatsuhi burst forth from the jewel and into his body, before exploding outward at high speed to go after Sesshoumaru and the piece of the jewel he protected.

Afterward, he watched the light in the jewel dim just slightly once more...

And reveled in the pain he could feel coming from the young miko he'd trapped inside it.

_And in her agony, she transcends mere beauty..._

He smiled, fangs glinting wickedly.


	16. Hymn 16

Hymn 16

~oOo~

Breathing heavily, Inuyasha swung Tessaiga again, destroying the youkai attacking him, only to have them regenerate again.

Frustrated, he growled angrily at the youkai.

For the first time, they addressed him.

"You have come to see the priestess? She will come soon."

"Kagome?" he asked, hope suddenly pulsing through him.

"Look up," one answered.

A flash of light burst up above him, drawing his eyes. He was startled by what he was seeing. "A human?" he asked, confused. _That's not Kagome... _

A different youkai answered him. "That is the miko that created the jewel. She has been fighting us ever since. She is the jewel, just as we are. But now there is another."

Inuyasha blinked, then scowled at the youkai, Tessaiga held warningly before him. "What do you mean?"

"The one you search for. She fears the dark, and being forgotten within it. Because of that, her light is dying, and she is becoming one with us. She no longer has a physical form, hanyou – you cannot save her," it said gloatingly.

Horror sinking into the depths of his soul, Inuyasha sucked in a shocked breath. "_Where .?" _he demanded, panicking.

A black chuckle came then. "Can you not feel her? She is all around you. The rain... it is her grief. And now that you have brought that piece of us back inside, her final fate is one step closer to being finished."

"_What?"_ Inuyasha reached into his haori and pulled out the bottle... only to find that the fragment that had been held within was gone as though it had never existed...

Terrible and keening, wind picked up around him, and lightening flashed in wicked bursts as the jewel reached out for its last missing piece and Kagome's grief and fear deepened.

~oOo~

A/N: I haven't been responding to the reviews on this one because it's just moving to quickly, but I'm certainly enjoying reading them!

Amber


	17. Hymn 17

Hymn 17

~oOo~

Sesshoumaru paused in his measured tread – something was wrong.

Lifting his head, he searched the winds with his senses.

After a moment, he said, "Jaken, take Kohaku and Rin and find a safe place."

The worshipful toad who'd followed him so faithfully for so many years scrambled to obey his master, and within moments the three were gone from sight.

It was none too soon, too, as an evil aura burst open around him almost as soon as they were gone, and within seconds the battle was joined.

When it was over, Sesshoumaru had regenerated his arm – and had a new sword that Totosai explained had been with him all along.

He'd just needed to realize he didn't need to depend on his father's strength.

And learn to protect that which was worthy.

His thoughts went to Rin and Kohaku.


	18. Hymn 18

Hymn 18

~oOo~

Naraku chuckled.

That had been too easy, and even now, Kohaku was on his way back to him.

Now he just had to figure out where that last shard had gone... though, it was awfully odd, he thought, considering the jewel, it looked as though only one shard was needed to fill in the final hole.

_Did Kagome actually still have it on her, hidden, and now it's integrated with the larger piece, just as she is? _he wondered. _That's the only thing that makes sense._

And suddenly, he began to laugh...

It wasn't a sane laugh.

It didn't take too long, really, for Kohaku to appear, and with blank eyes, turn as ordered and allow Naraku to pry the jewel shard from his back.

The spider simply ignored the collapsed boy as he held up the final piece...

And with reality rumbling around them, he slid what was, indeed, the final piece into its place.

Dark clouds raced across the sky as the sunlight became thin and weak.

~oOo~

A/N: Dun, dun, dun...


	19. Hymn 19

Hymn 19

~oOo~

Inuyasha flinched as an ominous, deep rumble reverberated through the void, and everything around him froze.

A piercing, agonized scream suddenly assaulted his ears, and he screamed in answer, knowing that voice as well as he knew his own.

"_Kagome!" _

Darkness swelled around him, and he could _feel_ the tiny bit of light still left within the jewel flicker weakly. His heart stopped in the moment it went out – he knew what it meant.

"_Kagome!"_ he screamed again into the now silent, still void. "No! Don't give up, wench, I'm here! You should have known I would come for you, woman!"

But there was no answer, and no flicker of recognition of him or his words, and suddenly, he was more desperate than he'd ever been.

"Remember, Kagome! Don't you always want to be together?" he choked, his emotions overwhelming him and leaving him defenseless to the horrible, crippling sense of loss that was settling into him. "C'mon, wench, don't give up," he whispered weakly. "You fought off Menomaru, Kaguya, and Tsubaki, and all to stay with me. You've stayed despite Kikyou, and always been my light. You can't let it go out now, Kagome. What will I do without you?"

Silence greeted his heart-broken words.

And then his soul was shredded by evil, wicked laughter and hatred bleeding from the very air around him.

Blackness descended, and he could no longer see anything around himself.

The light had finally flickered out like a blown out candle, and the evil in the jewel rejoiced.


	20. Hymn 20

Hymn 20

~oOo~

That wicked laughter bled out of the blackly shimmering Shikon no Tama, and everyone in the region froze as darkness fell at midday.

Miroku shuddered; looking at his companions with somber eyes, he said, "The Shikon no Tama has been completed, and it is corrupt. Naraku has triumphed."

There was little the four frightened companions could do as the air around them turned evil and cold but cling to each other and pray that the end, when it came, would be quick.

Hope, carried by them against all odds for so long, died.

Across the landscape, yet not really that far away, Sesshoumaru once more froze as he tracked his retainer through the gathering gloom.

Looking up, his eyes flared to crimson as he realized what had happened.

The Jewel was once more whole, and darkness would now reign.

He narrowed eyes that were stealing what little light was left from around him in an unnatural display of his own power.

_Despite you, Naraku, I will protect what is mine!_

He disappeared into the distance, heading for the scents of his retainer...

And Rin.

He would not forsake her.


	21. Hymn 21

Hymn 21

~oOo~

Gloating at the beauty of the fully tainted Shikon no Tama, Naraku held it up and stared at it, mesmerized.

"Finally, I have completed it. And now reality is mine to do with what I will."

He continued to stare at it for some time, bewitched. He almost couldn't believe he was holding a whole jewel.

_Now I have to decide what I want to use it for..._

"What can I use your taint to wish for?" he murmured.

He was in no way prepared as the jewel rose from his hand to hover in the air before him – nor as Magatsuhi's voice answered his query.

"You are a fool, spider. Did you really think I would grant you whatever you wanted? Your thanks for once more completing me is to become a puppet for me. This Shikon no Tama has a wish of its own – and you will be the one to make that wish for it, since it cannot wish on itself."

Frozen, unable to move or speak, Naraku was suddenly drowned in the knowledge that he had been an unmitigated fool.

The jewel had made easy use of him, and was going to do so again for the final time, draining him of life in the process.

_And now my dreams are as broken as Inuyasha's. How ironic, _Naraku thought with an anguished laugh.

_So much for wishes._


	22. Hymn 22

Hymn 22

~oOo~

Blinded by the matchless depths of night around him, Inuyasha's heart stuttered and threatened to stop as his world shattered with the loss of his love.

Yes, it was only now when she was gone, that he could fully admit aloud what she truly meant to him. His feelings went way beyond caring, or friendship. And now it was too late.

Despair etched deep lines into his face.

But somewhere, there was hope still alive inside him, because he just couldn't bring himself to_ truly_ believe that Kagome was really gone. That hope was choking him – but it was also reaching out to Tessaiga, because just as it seemed Inuyasha had finally been defeated, the sword pulsed and then flared with a scintillating corona of light.

Almost blinded in the shock of light breaching the darkness of the void, Inuyasha squinted at his father's fang, only to see that it was getting brighter as it pulsed – as if it had its own heartbeat.

It reached inside him to that hidden well of hope and yanked it out into the light that Tessaiga was feeding into the void.

"Kagome! I know you can hear me, woman! I'm with you... whatever happens to you is gonna happen to me, because you're not alone. I'm here, and I'm not leaving without you, wench. So just wake the hell up and break the hold this damn jewel has on you!" he shouted, his voice echoing into the silence and somehow gaining strength instead of dying down.

_Damn it! It's so ironic that I didn't realize until now... _"Kikyou's the past, Kagome, and even though I'll always remember her with love, she's gone – _you_ are my future, and I'm not willing to let you go as I've finally let go of Kikyou. So just wake up and fight this thing! Come on, wench! Come back to me," he pleaded. "Come back to me! Just wake up and come back..."

_Please..._


	23. Hymn 23

Hymn 23

~oOo~

"_Kagome!"_

Deep in the darkness something stirred, and a sluggish fragment of the one known as Kagome woke.

"_Kagome!"_

_Inu... yasha? _

As that name echoed through what was still left of Kagome, more of her awoke. That name had always been a siren's call for her, and barring interference by the kami, would always call her back from wherever she was.

It was no different this time.

_He's... calling for me. I can feel him._

Listening intently, she took in his words.

"_Kagome! I know you can hear me, woman! I'm with you... whatever happens to you is gonna happen to me, because you're not alone. I'm here, and I'm not leaving without you, wench. So just wake the hell up and break the hold this damn jewel has on you!"_

_No, _she moaned. _Inuyasha... It's too dark here. You have to go back to the light..._

But as her consciousness continued awakening as Inuyasha kept calling for her, exhorting her to fight, she took in the fact that the Shikon no Tama was complete...

And dark.

_He can't go back to the light... because the jewel has destroyed the light._

"No," she whispered aloud, her voice weak but there. "No." Struggling to gather herself, she pushed back against the darkness within herself, determined to rekindle the light no matter what.

_She would not fail._

Slowly, a faint glow began to be visible once more from that central darkness, and as infinite seconds passed, grew bit by bit, becoming brighter.

The heart of the warrior that lay within the young, inexperienced girl had finally been awoken, and the Shikon would tremble before her.

_I am with you, Inuyasha. I am always with you._

~oOo~

A/N: Don't worry - there's plenty more angst to come. It ain't over yet!

Amber


	24. Hymn 24

Hymn 23

~oOo~

Just as the darkness outside the Shikon no Tama seemed to reach its deepest point and despair had taken hold of the most stout of heart, a stillness broke the storm's grasp on reality, and then a tiny rent appeared in the dark clouds, letting in a single ray of light to illuminate the lands.

Looking up in awe, Miroku gripped tighter to his companions as a tendril of hope came back to life inside him.

Perhaps... perhaps, all hope was not in vain?

As all those across the lands watched with fear-riddled hope, slowly, oh, so slowly, another rent appeared in the clouds, letting in another burst of light, and then another, and another, until the darkness was fleeing across the sky and the sunlight once again bathed the lands in blessed light and warmth.

Inuyasha's companions began praying fervently that he would find Kagome – and bring her home.

None of them wanted to hear the hymn for the missing any longer. They were tired of the lament – it was time for a new melody to take its place.

One much more pleasing to the ear.


	25. Hymn 25

Hymn 25

~oOo~

In the midst of its gloating, the Shikon stumbled to a halt as its darkness fluctuated, pulsed, then began to actually _withdraw_... light rolling in behind it. Shuddering, Magatsuhi abruptly released Naraku, puncturing a hole through him and filling him with a poison so potent even he couldn't fight it so that he could not escape.

Now dying, the spider could only laugh weakly as he faded away...

"You have killed me... but _you_ will be destroyed by Kagome's light. How ironic that the one person you thought was the weakest, was the one person you could not beat," he whispered, before disappearing forever.

Shaking, cursing, Magatsuhi flung himself back into the jewel, throwing every bit of his darkness into the task of pushing back the light.

And for a few minutes, it almost seemed as if he was going to succeed. Ancient, powerful, Magatsuhi was the ultimate evil, and it was apparent in his soul's sheer dark size.

But there was one light that even he couldn't defeat...

The light of love.

No matter what happened, the truth was that Kagome loved Inuyasha. And if he was in danger, she would crawl back from the depths of hell to help him. She had, after all, already called herself back from death once before, when Kikyou had been reborn.

When Kikyou had been reawakened, everything that was Kagome was gone. She should not even have existed in that moment... and for several moments, she was, indeed, dead, and only Kikyou existed.

But then Kikyou had attacked Inuyasha, and his cry had awakened the primal part of what was _Kagome, _at which point she had torn herself away from death, away from Kikyou, _and brought herself back to life_ – all to save the hanyou she loved from suffering and death.

The moment that Inuyasha had followed Kagome into the jewel, Magatsuhi and the evil inside the jewel had lost – they just hadn't known it.

And as everything that was Kagome within that tainted jewel responded to the presence of the hanyou that was her world, an onslaught of light erupted from what was once her...

… burning away every bit of black taint, hatred, and malice that existed in that void.

Just as Naraku had faded away mere minutes before, so too did Magatsuhi dissipate into the blinding soul light that was called Kagome as it spread throughout the entirety of the Shikon no Tama.


	26. Hymn 26

Hymn 26

~oOo~

As she became stronger with the light spreading from within her soul, Kagome searched out Inuyasha's presence...

When she found him, she wrapped him protectively inside her soul's warmth.

_Inuyasha... you have to go now, _she said into his mind. _You can't stay here._

When Kagome's soul had wrapped around him, his knees had buckled and he could have sworn that heaven had come down over his broken heart and healed it.

But when he heard what she was saying to him, he began to panic.

"No! I said I wasn't leaving without you, wench, and you can't make me!" he yelled, terrified at the thought of life without her.

_You have to, Inuyasha. I can't focus on what I have to do with you here – I can't protect you and do what needs done at the same time._

"But... but," he stammered weakly, "I can't be without you, Kagome. Don't ask that of me... _please_ don't ask that of me."

_Inuyasha... there's always a goodbye. Nothing lasts forever..._her voice sounded sad, _but I have to finish this. The Shikon no Tama must be destroyed or this evil will never end. Even if you can't see me... I will always be with you._

There was a pause, and then...

_Go, Inuyasha. And know that I have always loved you._

As fear and horrible, unbearable pain rose up inside him, some great power wrapped around him, and before he knew what was happening, he was laying on the floor of a cave, with the glowing Shikon jewel next to him on the ground.

He hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye...

Denial rose hot within him and he screamed.

"_NO!"  
><em>


	27. Hymn 27

Hymn 27

~oOo~

Inside the jewel, Kagome firmed her determination.

The jewel had to go.

But how?

As she pondered her situation, a small glow came towards her from the depths of the Tama, and she watched with wondering eyes as a human woman dressed in ancient armor approached her with peace in her eyes and happiness on her face.

"You have destroyed the darkness of the corrupted souls that lay within this jewel," she said, and Kagome swallowed heavily.

"Midoriko," she whispered, awed.

The woman smiled at her. "There's only one way left to make sure that this jewel is never tainted again, Kagome. You must guard it."

Frowning in confusion, Kagome stared at the woman. "But... I don't have a body anymore. How can I do that?"

Midoriko gestured around them at the now warmly lit void. "The Shikon no Tama was brought back into the world by being born within your body. Just as it was reborn through you, you will now be reborn through it. What was once the jewel, will become you."

Eyes wide, hope suddenly called out to the young girl. "You mean... I can still live? I won't lose my family... _Inuyasha?"_

"No." Midoriko's smile widened. "Come, Kagome. Gather your courage, and let me do what it is in me to do, so that I may finally go to my own rest."

Kagome took the woman's outstretched hand...

~oOo~

A/N: And now we are coming to the crux of the story!

I apologize for the lateness of the post - I just had a procedure done on my back this morning, and my pain meds were upped again, so I'm pretty exhausted, not to mention out of it.

I hope everyone enjoys the update and thinks it worth the wait.

Amber


	28. Hymn 28

Hymn 28

~oOo~

Inuyasha lay where he'd come to, unable to move in his crushing grief.

He'd failed her.

Failed.

_So many times I promised her... to stay with her. And I kept breaking that promise. I was so sure I could protect her well enough despite Kikyou... but in the end, I protected Kikyou, and not Kagome. But... Kikyou was already dead. And now..._

_Now... Kagome..._

"No," he moaned, tears flooding his eyes, his ears flat to his head. "Kagome..."

He couldn't even speak any further, his voice caught somewhere in hopeless despair. He didn't care what happened, anymore. His will to live was gone. He would just lay where he was until grief finally killed him.

_If I hadn't failed you..._

_Failed._

A spectre of her appeared before his eyes, smiling at him... but she was fading, pulling away, and he reached out to grasp at her, trying to hold on to the vision as his heart broke.

But she wasn't really there, and he couldn't hold on to a phantom.

His eyes closed as he gave in to the darkness gathering behind his lids.


	29. Hymn 29

Hymn 29

~oOo~

Beside him, the Shikon no Tama began to glow, brighter and brighter, until it glowed with the light of a billion billion stars.

Inuyasha, lost in his grief-stricken darkness, didn't see as the light began to grow, suddenly seeming to form into something that looked a great deal like Kagome...

But when her aura and scent burst into glorious life around him, Inuyasha opened his eyes, at first thinking he'd managed to will himself to death, to follow her.

Until he realized where he was – and that she was still glowing even as she solidified before him. He could feel her – but he could also feel the Shikon, though it was a Shikon so pure it didn't call out as it had before.

It seemed... content with what it was now. It was no longer a creation of strife, but one of peace.

He stared at the gently smiling, glowing girl in front of him, almost afraid to believe that she was there...

"Are you going to disappear again?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper in its hopelessness.

Her smile widened, seeming brighter than the noonday sun. "No, Inuyasha... I'm with you. And now, I'll always be with you. I will carry you through whatever happens... you will never be alone again."

"Kagome," he choked, more tears pouring from his eyes, though he couldn't care, and reached for her with desperate arms. As he felt her, actually _felt_ her again, he sobbed, pulling her to him as though he would never let her go.

As he held her, the glow within her flesh began to dim, though it didn't fade all the way. Things would never be quite the same as they once had been...

Neither one noticed as that slightly dimmer glow began to infuse Inuyasha's flesh as well, just so content to be right where they were that neither bothered to open their eyes to the world around them.

They were lost within each other – they _were_ each others world in that moment.

The rest of reality could wait.

~oOo~

A/N: And I did what I said I would... create a happy ending out of the seemingly hopeless darkness. I hope everyone enjoys the last chapter, tomorrow, and the Epilogue on Monday.

Amber


	30. Hymn 30

Hymn 30

~oOo~

Eventually, however, reality always finds a way to intrude, and their erstwhile companions managed to track them down.

With an excited yell, Shippo leapt from Miroku's shoulder to Kagome's arms and snuggled into her, firing questions at her a mile a minute. Sango and Miroku, while smiling, were also looking like they were about to throw out a million questions as well...

Inuyasha, however, in a complete turn-around from his usual embarrassment at showing real, honest affection, refused to let go of Kagome, instead sitting down and pulling her into his lap for the coming question and answer session.

Sweetly flushed, smiling shyly, Kagome simply snuggled into his embrace, and ignoring the others raised brows, waited for the first question.

Before anyone could say anything, however, a powerful aura swelled over them, and Sesshoumaru stepped into sight with Rin, and surprisingly, Kohaku behind him.

Apparently, after Magatsuhi had killed Naraku, Sesshoumaru had tracked Kohaku's body to the cave, and he'd revived him – the inuyoukai refused to let someone cause him to fail in a self-imposed duty. And he'd chosen to protect the young slayer from Naraku.

Since that was the case, it was his duty to return Kohaku to life – or so he felt.

Not caring about the jewel itself, he'd simply left it laying where it was, and moved a little bit away from the cave to guard it until his brother's group could come along and retrieve it.

Imagine his surprise when his brother's and Kagome's auras showed up in the cave without approaching it from the outside...

He also wanted answers.

And so, Kagome began to talk, telling everyone about what had happened to her from the moment she'd awoken inside the jewel.

It was an incredible tale, and once it was told, those in the cave that day knew they'd never forget it. Once the explanation was finished, Sesshoumaru rose to take his leave, Kohaku choosing to stay behind to begin making amends to his sister.

Sango chose to honor her promise to wed the monk and bear his children...


	31. Epilogue: Aria

Epilogue: Aria

~oOo~

Inuyasha and Kagome were joined as one in a joint ceremony by Kaede and Miroku, and from that day forward, they were never apart.

As time marched on, each era making way for a new one, the two that had almost been separated permanently only held to each other tighter.

Centuries passed by, and they began to realize that neither of them was aging at all.

While Kagome had suspected such would be true for her after she had become one with the Shikon, she had dreaded outliving her beautiful hanyou...

But her heart settled and all fear left her after a visit from Sesshoumaru some four hundred years after the events in the Sengoku Jidai – Inuyasha was not aging, either.

As a hanyou, he would already have aged and died if he were going to. It had become apparent to his full youkai brother that Inuyasha at least had the lifespan of a full inuyoukai, if nothing else.

And that's when Kagome knew that she had Midoriko to thank for her good fortune.

With even that last fear of being separated now gone, the two could concentrate only on being together...

Now, there wasn't even a Kikyou to draw them apart... the elder miko had been taken by Midoriko to join her in her rest, leaving nothing to stand between the hanyou and the one he loved.

His heart had made its choice the moment he'd followed Kagome into the Jewel...

It was not a choice he ever once regretted in all the long centuries that he walked by her side.

_Owari_


End file.
